My cat is 20 years old and began having renal failure around 5 years ago. Otherwise, he is healthy, continues to run around and play, still chases me when I come home, etc. Two weeks ago he began having seizure (the worse thing I have experience and im sure the worse thing he has also). Took him to the vet immediately...do full work up and nothing found on CBC. Xray did show a mass in kidney so we assumed this tumor had mets to the brain. Did not want to put my cat through an MRI at age 20 so we opted on a trial of steriods hoping to shrink the tumor. After the steriods he had two more seizures and then went one week without any. Then began having them again (at least two a day). We have started him on phenobarbitol 0.25mg...he has had two doses and continues to have seizures. My first question is how long do it take for the pheno to work and my second question is how can I keep him safe during the day when me and my husband are at work. When he is having the seizures now, I am able to grab him and hold him as comfortably in my lap while stroking him after the seizure. He recovers well. Im worried about him harming himself when we are not here. Will he recover as well if no one is around? I have an intermediate dog crate which I have place blankets in and have covered with blankets which he loves to lay in. I am thinking about padding the sides and locking him in while we are gone to work...but this upsets me also because I dont want to confine him. I would also have to put a litter box and food and water in the crate which could harm him during the seizure. I am very stress out and worried about leaving him. I have taking three weeks off from work, hoping to resolve the seizures, and now have to return on Monday. Can you please let me know how to keep him safe when he is at home alone?
Thank You
Joy

Oh poor baby....I am so sorry for Mrboots and for you also that is just heartbreaking and you are trying everything and I commend you for this, I too did the same with my old kitty (OPUS) when he took sick with heart disease..lots of time off work and trips to the Vet hospital in a city 3 hrs away...so we try and try to do our best.
but Joy soon it will be time to do whats best for Mrboots...his condition is incurable and all the treatments are only prolonging the end....
the seizures indicate advance renal failure and like you say no doubt has mets to the brain. ...this will only continue to get worse especially since the phenobarb didn't work and this should have worked right away...it does for us humans..
Please hug him close and do what you feel is best, my heart goes out to you both

Oh poor baby....I am so sorry for Mrboots and for you also that is just heartbreaking and you are trying everything and I commend you for this, I too did the same with my old kitty (OPUS) when he took sick with heart disease..lots of time off work and trips to the Vet hospital in a city 3 hrs away...so we try and try to do our best.
but Joy soon it will be time to do whats best for Mrboots...his condition is incurable and all the treatments are only prolonging the end....
the seizures indicate advance renal failure and like you say no doubt has mets to the brain. ...this will only continue to get worse especially since the phenobarb didn't work and this should have worked right away...it does for us humans..
Please hug him close and do what you feel is best, my heart goes out to you both

My cat is 20 years old and began having renal failure around 5 years ago. Otherwise, he is healthy, continues to run around and play, still chases me when I come home, etc. Two weeks ago he began having seizure (the worse thing I have experience and im sure the worse thing he has also). Took him to the vet immediately...do full work up and nothing found on CBC. Xray did show a mass in kidney so we assumed this tumor had mets to the brain. Did not want to put my cat through an MRI at age 20 so we opted on a trial of steriods hoping to shrink the tumor. After the steriods he had two more seizures and then went one week without any. Then began having them again (at least two a day). We have started him on phenobarbitol 0.25mg...he has had two doses and continues to have seizures. My first question is how long do it take for the pheno to work and my second question is how can I keep him safe during the day when me and my husband are at work. When he is having the seizures now, I am able to grab him and hold him as comfortably in my lap while stroking him after the seizure. He recovers well. Im worried about him harming himself when we are not here. Will he recover as well if no one is around? I have an intermediate dog crate which I have place blankets in and have covered with blankets which he loves to lay in. I am thinking about padding the sides and locking him in while we are gone to work...but this upsets me also because I dont want to confine him. I would also have to put a litter box and food and water in the crate which could harm him during the seizure. I am very stress out and worried about leaving him. I have taking three weeks off from work, hoping to resolve the seizures, and now have to return on Monday. Can you please let me know how to keep him safe when he is at home alone?
Thank You
Joy

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